A fascinating juxtaposition of recent and current tensions between a major Gulf power and the Western powers highlights yet again one of the most significant recurring themes that have defined many aspects of the war-filled modern history of the Middle East. The current iss

The Palestinian national unity government of technocrats headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah that was sworn into office in Ramallah Monday is rich in irony and opportunity.

Of all the Arab countries that today suffer violence or enjoy calm on the surface, Iraq is the saddest in my view, because of what it has not become in the last decade, since the downfall of the hard and vicious Baathist regime. But first some context, because the agony of Iraq

A few months ago, we pretty much hit the bottom in violence and political discord across the entire Middle East, with active wars and insurgencies and daily terrorism defining many quarters of the region. The heartland of political violence has been the vast region of Leban

The dizzying pace of events across the Arab world during this fourth year of continuous citizen protests for a better life sees a very wide variety of developments in different country circumstances. It is easy to become confused by the very erratic pattern of events, and even t

The Israeli decision to break off negotiations with the Palestinians after the Palestinian groups Fateh and Hamas announced their reconciliation agreement reveals the darkest and most destructive sides of Israel and its Western backers vis-à-vis their declared desire for a

This week, the Israeli transportation ministry announced that it would establish designated bus routes for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, allowing Jewish Israelis to travel on buses without Palestinians. Some months ago, the Israeli government started discussing

One of the most fascinating but problematic recent incidents on the extent of allowable free speech in the United States took place this week when Brandeis University withdrew an invitation to the Somali-Dutch-American anti-Islamic firebrand Ayaan Hirsi Ali to give a speech and r

Those who have followed the last eight months of American-mediated Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have anticipated the unveiling of the United States’ own “framework” for continued negotiations to achieve a permanent, comprehensive peace agreement. Whether or